Steel retainer



. June 28, 1932- A. G. SLATCHER STEEL RETAINER Filed May 5, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR AZP/PED asz/zrcflfk ATTORNEYS A. G. SLATCHER STEEL RETAINER Filed May 5, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR AZFEFD 6. SZATCHEP ATTORN EYS June 28, 1932.

Patented June 28, 1932 UNITED STATES r My 1,865,340

PATENT OFFICE ALFRED G. SLATCI-IER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIG-NOE TO THE GLIlZlVIElLAND ROCK DRILL COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION" OF OHIO STEEL RETAINER Application filed May 5, 1930. Serial No. 449,767.

This invention relates to fluid actuated tools of the percussion type and especially to improvements in tool or steel retainers for rock drills.

One of the objects of the present invent on is to provide a tool retainer for preventing the accidental disengagement of the tool or steel from the drill which is simple in construction.

Another object is to provide a tool retainer which is susceptible of ready manipulation to and from operative position in combination with means for maintaining said retainer in either of said positions.

Another object is to provide a tool retainer which is economic of manufacture and effective in use.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear as the description proceeds. I

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, a

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the lower end of a rock drill showing one form of the tool retainer of the present invention operatively associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is a view taken at right angles to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. but showing the tool retainer shifted to inoperative position;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of Fig. 2; and

Figs. 5-8 inclusive are views similar to Figs. 14 inclusive, respectively, of a modilied form of the invention.

Referring now more in detail to the drawings 10 indicates the lower end of the head of a rock drill and 12 the tool retaining yoke attached to the lower end thereof. This yoke has a pair of arms 14 which terminate at the r lower extremities in a substantially semicircular loop portion 16. The internal diameter of this loop is of slightly greater dimen sion than the diameter of the tool 18 and less than the diameter of the enlarged collar 20 of the tool. The object of this loop is to prevent the tool from sliding out of the axial opening in the lower end of the head of the machine provided therefor, when the machine is raised, by the engagement of the enlarged head 20 of the tool against said loop.

The upper end of the arms 14 of the yoke 12 terminate in disk-like projections 22.

These projections have arcuate edges of slightly greater than semi-circular configuration. These arcuate edges terminate in abutments 24 at one end which act as stops for limiting the pivotal movement of the tool retaining yoke when being rotated to operative position and also for aligning the axis of the loop 16 of the yoke with the axis of the tool. At the other end these arcuate edges terminate in abutments 26 which act as stops for limiting the pivotal movement of the tool retaining yoke when being rotated to inoperative position.

In the lower end of the head of the rock drill are two oppositely disposed arcuate seats or tracks 28 of somewhat less than semicircular configuration having the same radius as that of the disk-like projections on the upper ends of the arms 14 of the yoke 12 and adapted to pivotally seat said disks for allowing pivotal movement of the tool retainer. The arcuate projections 22 are maintained in the arcuate seats 28 by means of the coil springs 30 in a manner which will hereinafter be more fully set forth.

Near the lower end of the head of the rock drill are a pair of oppositely disposed laterally extending trunnions 32 on which are pivotally mounted a pair of eyebolts 34. These eyebolts extend through tapered apertures 36 in laterally extending ears 38 on the arms 14 i of the yoke 12. The object of providing tapered apertures is to allow for lateral movement of the shanks of the eyebolts therein when rotating the tool retainer from operative to inoperative position or vice versa.

Interposed between the lower face of the ears 38 and nuts 40 threaded on to the lower ends of the eyebolts, and surrounding said eyebolts are the springs 30 for resiliently main taining the arcuate disks 22 seated in the arcuate seats or tracks 28 as will be evident.

It is to be noted that the axis of the eyebolts and hence the line of action ofthe coil springs is disposed to one side of the radial center of the arcuate disk-like extensions 22 and arcuate seats or tracks 28 when the tool retaining yoke is held in operative position and that said line of action is disposed to the opposite side of said center when the yoke is held in inoperative position. It will thus be evident that in moving the yoke one Way or the other it need be moved only until the axis of the eyebolt passes the radial center of the arcuate extensions and tracks when the force of the spring will take effect and move it the remaining distance to extreme position as determined by the abutments or stops 24 and 26 and hold said yoke in said position.

In the modification shown in Figs. 5 8 inclusive laterally extending ears 42 are located on the lower end of the head 10 and trunnions 44 are located on the yoke. The ears 42 have tapered apertures 46 therein similar to the apertures 36 in the structure shown in Figs. 1-4 to allow for lateral movement therein of the shanks of the eyebolts 34 during movement of the tool retaining yoke to operative or inoperative position or vice versa. In other respects the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 5-8 is substantially the same as that shown in Figs. 1-4.

Although the foregoing description is necessarily of a detailed character in order to completely set forth the invention it is to be understood that the specific terminology is not intended to be restrictive or confining and it is to be further understood that various rearrangements of parts and modifications of structural detail may be resorted to without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim; 7 I

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a head having an arcuate shaped bearing portion at the lower end thereof, a tool retaining yoke having an arcuate bearing portion I on the upper end thereof cooperating with said first mentioned bearing portion, resilient means securedto said head and to said yoke below the end of the said yoke for normally urging said yoke against said head while permitting sliding movement of said bearing portions upon each other whereby said yoke is pivoted to said head, said spring means acting in a radial direction about an axis which is offset from the axis of rotation of the yoke, said yoke having swinging movement through the dead center of the spring means.

2. A machine of the class described having a head portion and a tool retaining portion pivotally associated therewith and eccentric means for maintaining said tool retaining portion in adjusted position, said means comprising trunnions on one of said portions and apertured ears on the other of said portions, eyebolts journaled on said trunnions and passing through said apertured ears, nuts on said bolts and means hetween said nuts and said apertured ears for maintaining said tool retaining portion in operative or inoperative position.

3. A machine of the class described having a head portion and a tool retaining portion pivotally associated therewith and eccentric means for maintaining said tool retaining portion in adjusted position, said means comprising trunnions on one of said portions and apertured ears on the other of said portions, eyebolts journaled on said trunnions and passing through said apertured ears, nuts on said bolts and coil springs between said nuts and said apertured ears and surrounding said bolts for maintaining said tool retaining portion in operative or iiioperative position.

4. A machine of the class described having a head portion and a tool retaining portion associated therewith for pivotal movement around a fixed axis, means eccentric to said axis for maintaining said tool retainingportion in adjusted position, said means comprising trunnions on one of said portions and apertured ears on the other of said portions, eyebolts journaled on said trunnions and passing through said apertured ears, nuts on said bolts and means between said nuts and said apertured ears for maintaining said tool retaining portion in operative or inoperative position.

5. A machine of the class described having a head portion with arcuate shaped seats at the lower end thereof and a tool retaining portion having projections with arcuate shaped edge portions adapted to seat in said arcuate shaped seats for permitting pivotal movement of said tool retaining portion around a fixed axis and means eccentric to said axis for maintaining said tool retaining means in adjusted position, said means comprising trunnions on one of said portions and apertured ears on the other of said portions, eyebolts journaled on said trunnions and passing through said apertured ears, nuts on said bolts and means between said nuts and said apertured ears for maintaining said tool retaining portion in operative or inoperative position.

6. 'A machine of the class described hav ing a head with arcuate shaped seats at the lower end thereof and a tool retaining portion having projections with arcuate shaped edge portions adapted to seat in said arcuate shaped seats for permitting pivotal movement of said tool retaining portion around a fixed axis and means eccentric to said axis for maintaining said tool retaining means in adjusted position, said means comprising trunnionson one of said portions and apertured ears on the other of said portions, eyebolts journaled on said trunnions and passing through said apertured ears, nuts on said bolts and coil springs between said nuts ALFRED G. SLATCHER. 

